About

MyBodyModel: Fashion Sketch Templates to Your Measurements

$26,867

pledged of $20,000 goal

725

backers

MyBodyModel's mission is to create body-positive design tools for garment makers and designers. The MyBodyModel web app will make fashion sketching templates (also called "croquis") to your measurements. Because every body is different. And no body looks like those fashion illustrations that are 9 head-lengths tall!

We need your help to fund development of a Beta version of the MyBodyModel web app. If we succeed in meeting our Kickstarter goal, Maine Technology Institute will match dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000!

All backers will get early access to the MyBodyModel Beta website. You will be able to make and download your own croquis, made to your measurements. You can print your croquis on paper, and sketch your designs by hand. Or import your croquis image into your favorite sketching app or illustration software.

Meet our Testers!

An amazing team of volunteers is helping to test MyBodyModel. We recruited real sewing women to be the prototype models. And we recruited experienced sewers, knitters, and designers to test the croquis builder software and user interface.

Our dream team of testers includes the following beautiful and talented women:

MyBodyModel will be tested by experienced sewers, knitters, and designers

BACKER REWARDS

EARLYBIRD DISCOUNT: Our first 50 Earlybird backers get all the rewards of the "Maker" backer level, at a 20% lower pledge amount.

First 125 backers get to vote on our first Stretch Goal! The more funds we raise, the more features we will be able to include in MyBodyModel Beta. We have several exciting stretch goals and you can help us choose what to do first!

EARLY BETA ACCESS: All Backers will get early access to MyBodyModel's Beta web app, before it's released to the public! You will be able to create your own custom croquis based on body measurements that you enter. Higher backer levels will get even earlier access!

FREE DOWNLOAD OF YOUR CUSTOM CROQUIS FROM MYBODYMODEL BETA: (Earlybird/Maker level and higher) You will get free downloads of the custom croquis that you create in MyBodyModel Beta. Higher backer levels get more custom croquis. You can choose to get 1, 3, 6, or 20 croquis, made to different sets of measurements that you enter.

WHILE YOU WAIT: GET A FREE DOWNLOAD OF OUR BEAUTIFUL PROTOTYPE MODELS: (Earlybird/Maker level and higher) Want to start sketching right away? Immediately after our successful Kickstarter campaign, we will send a special gift to all Backers at the Maker level and higher. We will send these free downloads, featuring our 7 beautiful real-body prototype croquis:

14-page PDF (each model in 2 layouts: one croquis per page and three croquis per page) - Maker level and higher

Our 14-page PDF features our 7 prototype models in two formats: 1 croquis per page and 3 croquis per page

ARE YOU NEW TO FASHION SKETCHING? (Earlybird/Maker level and higher) Get early and free access to our 40-minute webinar: "Fashion Sketching for Beginners."

PRIVATE FEEDBACK SESSION: (Pioneer & Superstar Backers) Do you want to help us make MyBodyModel the best it can be? You can join a one-hour feedback session with the MyBodyModel founder.

Private Group Feedback Session: Pioneer backers

Private One-on-One Feedback Session: Superstar backers

THE FASHION DESIGN SCHOOL OF YOUR CHOICE TO GET A MULTI-USER LICENSE!(Superstar Backers) How cool would it be for fashion design students to be able to make croquis based on real body measurements? Our Superstar backers can help us make it happen! The fashion design school or program of your choice will be offered a multi-user license to MyBodyModel.

MYBODYMODEL FEATURES

These features are our initial wish list for MyBodyModel Beta. We have set a very tight budget with the software developers, and we may run into challenges. If so, we will reach out to our Backers to help us choose the features and formats that are most important to you. And of course, the more funds we raise, the more features we will be able to include! We have several exciting stretch goals and our first Backers will help us choose what to do first.

Choose from different poses

MyBodyModel pose options

Choose from different download options

You will be able to save your measurements and download your croquis in different file formats. Choose the right download format for your project needs.

Meet the Team

MyBodyModel founder, Erica Schmitz

MyBodyModel is a labor of love for founder Erica Schmitz, who began sewing her own clothes in 2013. Erica needed a visual way to plan her sewing projects. She couldn't find any sketching templates that looked anything like her. She learned that standard fashion croquis are 9-to-10 head lengths tall. And that human beings are usually about 7 or 8 head lengths tall! This discovery was surprising and frustrating. Erica says, "We make and design clothes for real bodies, and every body is different. We should be able to sketch on croquis of the real body that will wear the clothes." In early 2017, she decided to make it happen.

In addition to being an obsessed garment sewist, Erica has more than 20 years of management experience in the non-profit sector. She loves starting with a wild idea, and building partnerships to make it happen. For the last 12 years, she has provided consulting for nonprofit and public agencies. Her specialties include strategic planning, program development, data analysis, and program evaluation. She lives in Portland, Maine with her husband and their 9-year old daughter.

1. Brian Leighton, Development Manager at BRS, is a full stack software developer adept at picking up new technologies and finding the correct solution for any problem. Brian is also an avid home brewer with a fondness for baked goods. Brian’s skills include proficiency in Javascript, AJAX, HTML5, CSS3, jQuery, Twig, Smarty, PHP, Symfony, MySQL, Apache, Nginx, Node.js, JSP, Java, Java Servlets, Linux, Python, Django, Postgres, C, C++ and .Net.
2. Justin Varberakis, Creative Director at BRS, is an artist in the world of application and website design, known for his expertise for stylish and user friendly sites with a deep feel for sharp lines, shapes, and vibrant colors. Justin’s adoring fans include his loving baby daughter and wife who tolerate his obsession with purchasing antique wood stoves. Justin’s skills include proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom, and Sketch.
3. Rebekah Louten, Developer at BRS, is a front end web developer and user interface designer who specializes in clear, user-friendly app experiences.
4. Emily Felger, Project Manager at BRS, has a background in graphic design and copywriting. She has 10 years of experience sewing garments and drafting patterns, and is excited to help bring a new tool to the sewing community!
5. Nick Hall, Developer at BRS, is experienced in Virtual Reality, 3D modelling, and game design. He was part of the team who built the engine that powers trixel.io.
6. Janet Antich, Principal at the-ink-spot, is an illustrator, animator, interactive developer, and mother of two young children. She was born in Milano, and grew up in Italy, New York and Texas, and now lives in Portland, Maine with her family.

Special thanks

MyBodyModel is a Maine-based business with an international audience. We are grateful to all the folks at CEI and the Women's Business Center who have provided us with business counseling and encouragement from the beginning. Special thanks to Emily Felger and Nick Hall for their volunteer time reviewing and providing feedback on this campaign. Thank you to our volunteer testers including everyone helping out behind the scenes! We also owe a great thanks to the Maine Technology Institute for their rigorous application process and for selecting MyBodyModel for your TechStart and Seed tech innovation awards in 2017. Without your help, we wouldn't be where we are today!

Risks and challenges

We have been working for more than 6 months to plan MyBodyModel development. We have a great team on board and are ready to start. Our Kickstarter budget and goal is to create a "Beta" version of MyBodyModel with very basic features. This Beta version is what will be available to our Kickstarter Backers.

Our Beta product will not be a perfectly polished product with many bells and whistles. We will need your feedback to make MyBodyModel the best it can be.

Our Kickstarter goal is based on the software developer's best estimate for what it will take to create a functional Beta version of MyBodyModel. We are working closely with the developers and testers to make MyBodyModel Beta the best it can be. However, we know that with developing new software, we may encounter challenges. If so, we will reach out to our Backers to help us choose the features and formats that are most important to you.

And of course, the more funds we raise, the more features we will be able to include! We are committed to making MyBodyModel a reality, and will keep our backers posted throughout the process.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $20 or more
About $20

EARLYBIRD

* Get early access to MyBodyModel Beta, two weeks before it's released to the public!
* Use our Beta croquis builder to create and download one custom croquis, made to your measurements.
* Are you new to fashion sketching? Get early and free access to our 40-minute webinar: "Fashion Sketching for Beginners"
* Want to start sketching as soon as this Kickstarter closes? EARLYBIRD backers will receive a 14-page PDF download of our beautiful prototype croquis! Delivered right after our successful Kickstarter campaign.
* You will get a Single-user Standard Use License for the content that you download.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $25 or more
About $25

MAKER

* Get early access to MyBodyModel Beta, two weeks before it's released to the public!
* Use our Beta croquis builder to create and download one custom croquis, made to your measurements.
* Are you new to fashion sketching? Get early and free access to our 40-minute webinar: "Fashion Sketching for Beginners"
* Want to start sketching as soon as this Kickstarter closes? MAKER backers will receive a 14-page PDF download of our beautiful prototype croquis! Delivered right after our successful Kickstarter campaign.
* You will get a Single-user Standard Use License for the content that you download.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $60 or more
About $60

DESIGNER

Get all of the above, plus:
* Use our Beta croquis builder to create and download 3 different croquis, made to measurements that you enter.
* 7 JPEG image downloads! One of each of our beautiful prototype croquis - Delivered right after our successful Kickstarter campaign.
* You will get a Single-user Standard Use License for the content that you download.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $100 or more
About $100

PRO

Get all of the above, plus:
* Use our Beta croquis builder to create and download up to 6 different croquis, made to measurements that you enter.
* 7 VECTOR image downloads! One of each of our beautiful prototype croquis - Delivered right after our successful Kickstarter campaign.
* A personal thank you note
* You will get a Single-user Standard Use License for the content that you download

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $250 or more
About $250

PIONEER

Thank you, PIONEER Backers! You will get all of the above plus:
* Earlier access to MyBodyModel Beta, 3 weeks before it's released to the public!
* Use our Beta croquis builder to create and download up to 20 different croquis made to measurements that you enter.
* A personal thank you note
* Join a virtual group meeting with the MyBodyModel founder to share your feedback and ideas about MyBodyModel Beta
* You will get a Single-user Standard Use License for the content that you download

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,250 or more
About $1,250

SUPERSTAR

Thank you, SUPERSTAR Backers! You will get all of the above plus:
* Choose the fashion design school or program of your choice to get a multi-user license to MyBodyModel!
* Earliest access to MyBodyModel Beta as soon as it's ready for testing
* A special thank you on our website
* One-on-one phone call or video call with the MyBodyModel founder to share your feedback and ideas about MyBodyModel Beta
* You will get a Single-user Standard Use License for the content that you download.